Method and apparatus for cutting and clamping in straight knitting machines



A. DYJK Us April 13, 1954 2,674,866 METHOD AND APPARAT FOR CUTTING ANDCLAMPING IN STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 24,1948 April 13, 1954 A, DYJAK 2,674,866

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND CLAMPING IN STRAIGHT KNITTINGMACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1948 mK C A. DYJAK April 13,1954 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND CLAMPING IN STRAIGHT KNITTINGMACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 24, 1948 April 13, 1954 A DYJAKMETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND CLAMPING IN STRAIGHT KNITTINGMACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 V MWD a9 mw April 13, 1954A. DYJAK 2,674,866

METHOD AND APPARATUS FDR CUTTING AND CLAMPING 1N STRAIGHT KNITTINGMACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 24, 1948 Patented Apr. 13, 1954METHOD AND APPAR AND CLAMIPIN G MACHINES ATUS FOR CUTTING IN STRAIGHTKNITTING Adolf Dyjk, Zlin, Czechoslovakia, assignor to Svit, nrodnpodnik, Zlin, Czechoslovakia Application August 24, 1948, Serial No.45,914

Claims priority, application Czechoslovakia September 4, 1947 (Cl.(i6-445) 13 Claims. l

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for gripping andcutting olf the inactive threads in straight sinker operated knittingframes and similar machines, in which the said threads are automaticallypulled out to form a loop between the mouth of the tube of the threadguide or guides and the point of introduction into the product.

The method hitherto known for clamping and cutting off the inactivethreads in straight sinker operated knitting machines consists inintroducing one of the folds of the V-shaped loop, which is formedautomatically between the thread guide and the product, into a clampingdevice and the other fold into a cutting device, which is separatelylocated and driven. This method has the disadvantage that the respectiveclamping device is not fully reliable so that the inactive threads arenot held with complete safety. Some of the insufficiently retainedinactive threads may be incidentally pulled out of the clamping deviceat an inopportune moment, such as when introducing a fresh thread intothe work, so that the corresponding thread guide does not possess athread when it is put in operation, which defect is encountered in manycases. Moreover, by cutting on the second fold of the loop, two freerelatively long thread ends are obtained of which that one which ishanging down from the clamping device must be drawn gradually and duringa relatively long period from the clamping device by the product whichincreases in length. Another disadvantage of the apparatus referred 'toresides in its relative complexity as to arrangement and control. Theretaining hooks and the clamping and cutting-oi devices are driven by aseparate shaft, laterally slidable and rotatable, which is operated insome cases for a time by a hand actuated control rod.

The same method of clamping and cutting off the inactive threads isemployed also in the so` called heel machines where on each side of theneedle bank there are arranged two superposed movable hooks which areguided in longitudinal grooves in the direction of the length of themachine. The disadvantage of this method consists in the necessity ofopening the clamping device to release the clamped severed fold of theloop at the beginning of the knitting operation with a freshlyintroduced thread guide. Another disadvantage of the apparatus consistsin this that it may be used only for machines having a small number ofthread guides, for instance for heel machines, not for cotton machineshaving from eight to ten thread guides...

crates with the edge of a knife A purpose of the present invention is toeliminate the above quoted imperfections so as to achieve completesafety in the operation, obtain a single free fold of the loop, secure amore suitable arrangement and simplify the whole apparatus together withits drive.

The main feature of the new method consists in cutting off the inactivethreads clamped by the clamping device at a point close to the saiddevice. The advantage of the method just outlined consists in this thatthe cut off fold of the loop clamped in the clamping device has no freeend and therefore may be pulled out quickly from the clamping device bythe movement of the product as it increases in length.

Another improvement in accordance with the new method consists in anarrangement in which during the period of pulling out the threads toform loops by means of one or more retaining hooks, the clamping and thecutting-olf devices are moving in the direction of movement of thesinkers of the machine toward the loop or loops being formed. In thisway the fold of the loop between the retaining hook and the thread guideis brought quite reliably between the jaws of the clamping device. Theclamping device by its working stroke into the direction of movement ofthe sinkers of the machine, causes the device -for introducing theinactive threads in the clamping and cutting-off devices to be operated,while by its return stroke to inactive position causes the said deviceto be put again out of operation. The arrangement just describedachieves a perfeet introduction of the inactive thread into the clampingdevice, and no particular drive is required for this purpose.

The clamping device forms a part of the cutting-off device in that oneof the jaws of the clamping device has a knife edge Which co-opmountedrotatably on the said jaw. The knife, which parta-kes of the movement ofthe clamping device in the direction of movement of the sinkers of thema- -chine toward the loop being formed, is controlled at the same timeby a rockable cam member. In this arrangement no separate drive for thecutting-off device is required.

According to another feature of the present linvention, all theretaining hooks located on both ,sides of the sinker heads and theirdirectly'associated clamping, cutting-off and introducing devices forthe threads are brought to working position and out of the same by meansof bars slidable in the longitudinal direction of the machine. YThisarrangement on both sides of the consists of a holder 54,. Fig. 5.,screwed, on: the bracket 9; The holder 54 is provided with a guide bar55 which is cuia'fedV at' one end andi serves as a guideway; Short ofthe curved part of' the guide 55 the free end of a dat spi-ring 56 bearsagainst the said guide, the other end of the spring being fastened 'tothe holder 54. A lever 58, pivoted on pin` 62 on a holder 63 mounted onbar 64, has one end. i downturned to bearV against the guide' 55 andthe: other arm` shaped to provide a thread retaining hook 5.5, and isurged in a direction to keep the end 51 in contact with the guide 55 bya torsion spring 55' carried by a pin 6| on the holder 63.

With this bar 64, which is located above the bar 2|, are moved all thoseretaining hooks 5?; whichare located at the right hand side' of needlebanks. The remaining retaining hooks, which serve to p-ull out thethreads at the left hand side of the needle benl'rs, are moved togetherwith a bar B5 which is located above the two bars 2| and 64. The threedriving bars 2|, ill and 65, Fig. 9, are mountedv slidably in holders'66 which are screwed on the side members i of the machine. Each bar hasscrewed thereon a driving plate 6? with a longitudinal slot 65 in whicha supporting pin 69 is guided. Each supporting pin 69 is arranged at oneend of a lever 10, the levers being mounted for rocking movement aboutpins 1|, screwed into a bracket l2. The other end of' each lever 10'carries a roller 'I3 engaging in a corresponding groove 'le of a drum'|5- Which is keyed on a shaft i6. The number of grooves 14 correspondsto the number of bars. The shaft 'I6 is mounted in brackets 'il and 'i3which are fastened by means of screws on the bracket '|2 carried by thebar 3, Fig. l. On one end of the shaft '56, Fig. 9, is keyed a handwheel i9 serving to rotate the cylindrical cam T5' by hand and to adjustthe cutting-off device. On one of the end faces of the cam T5 there' isscrewed a circular disk 85 provided with a single recess 8G for a pawl,Fig. 1. The corresponding pawl 8| is mounted on a pin 82 screwed intothe face of a sprocket w'heel 83 which is freely rotatable on the shafti6. rIhe pawl 8i is urged to engage with the recess 85 in the disk 55 bymeans of a torsion spring 85 mounted on a pin 85 which is carried by thesprocket wheel 83.

Angular movement of the cylindrical cam l5 toY automatically pull out aninactive thread into a V-shaped loop, and the operation of the devicefor introducing one of the folds ci the loop into the clamping and thecutting-on Idevice are car ried out by means of a one revolutioncoupling which after being released by means of a lever system from thepattern drum is driven by the main cam shaft 5. In order to securereliable operation of all the clamping and cutting-ofi' devices in themachine and to prevent the inactive threads from breaking, the workingprocess from the moment when the threads are pulled out up to the momentof cutting off the same is divided linto two parts corresponding to tworevolutions of the main cam shaft 5 or to one angular movement of thedrum '15. During a revolution of the cam shaft, the pulling hook willpull out an inactive thread into a V-shaped loop, while during thesecond revolution it will introduce the thread into a clamping andcutting device.

The chain 81, Figs. l and 3, which runs around the sprocket wheel 83, isguided over a sprocket wheel 88 having an eztendedhub portion S5, Fig.2, freely rotatable about a pinA 15|) `fastened in the sidel member andclampedby means of a nut 9|. On a shouldered washern 92 freely rotatableon the hub 8&1v there is sprung from one side a rocking sector 93 whosecircular periphery of larger diameter isprovided at one point with anotch 94, Fig. l, for a locking pin 55 which retains the sector 53 ininoperative position. In the lateral wall of the sector 93 there isscrewed a pin 95 on which a pawl 9| is rotatably mounted. The drivingsector d3 carries a plate 55 in which an adjusting screw 95 is screwedin such a manner as to cooperate with an abutment |55 provided on thewall of the side member A tension spring |53 is connected to an ear I5!fastened on the plate e8 and to a post |52 screwed into the side memberThe end of the hub 65 has keyed thereon a gear wheel |04 which has anumber of teeth omitted on its periphery so that a gap |55 without teethis formed. The gear wheel |55 is rigidly connected to a circular disc|56 which is provided with a recess H0 and against the periphery oiwhich bears the end of the pawl 9iv urged yby a torsional spring |57'fastened on a pin |08 which is provided on the sector S3. The relativepositionA of the sector '95 and disc |56, and of the gear wheel Hifi aswell, is secured in the idle condition by means of an arresting pinengaging in a recess |55 in the circular periphery of the sector Si ofsmaller diameter, Fig. 2, and in the recess H5 of the disc 535, the saidpin |i| being urged by a spring H2 housed in a bracket H3 which isfastened to the side member by means of screws. With the gear wheel 04is associated a pinion H4 having one half of the number of teeth of thesaid gear wheel and adapted to c'o-operate for a time with the latter.The pinion |515 is keyed on one end of a shouldered shaft H5 mountedrotatably in the side member i. To the end oi the shaft |55, adjacent tothe pinion Hd, there is fastened a lever H5 adjustable by means of aclamping screw in such a manner that a' driving pin H8, fastened in theopposite end of the lever H6, is adapted to co-op-erate for a time withthe driving sector Q3. The other end of the shouldered shaft ||5 haskeyed thereon a sprocket wheel H9, Fig. l, which is continuously drivenby means of a chain |25 from a sprocket wheel |2| fastened on the main.shaft 5.

An impulse for effecting angular movement of the one revolution couplingis given at the right moment by a pattern drum. 22 which is mountedrotatably in the left side member i and is provided around its peripherywith a number of projections of various height and length, from whichfor instance the projection 23 ofc-operates with a lever |24 mounted forrocking Inovement about a pin |25. A link |26 pivoted on the lever |24is connected at its other end with an arm [21 which is fastened on oneend of a shaft |28. This shaft |278 is mounted for free rotation in abracket |25 fastened to a bar |35 by means of screws. A retaining ring53|, 3, prevents the shaft $28 from moving sidewise. On the opposite endof the shafttnere is fastened an arm 32, Fig. l, which by means of adraw rod |33 is connecte-r1 with one arm or lever |35` mounted rotatablyabout a pin 35 the side member if. The other arm of the lever 35 hasscrewed thereon a holder |35 and through the end of this arm passes thelocking pin 55 provided with a compression spring i5? which acts on thepin such al way that the end of the latter projects permanently from thelever |34 and by engagement in the notch H or the sector 93 locks thesingle revolution coupling in its inactive position.

The apparatus as described operates in the following manner:

During normal knitting, the main cam shaft 5, Fig. 1, drivescontinuously the sprocket wheels |2| and H9 which have the same numberof teeth so that shaft l5, pinion I4, lever i IB and the driving pin i8of the latter are continuously rotating, but without the rotating pinionH4 being in engagement with the gear wheel |04 because the gap |05without teeth on the periphery of the gear wheel |04, Fig. 1, ispositioned oppoe site to the pinion ||4. This position of the gap |05 isdetermined by the driving sector 93 being held in its inactive positionby engagement in its notch 94 of the locking pin S5 provided on thelever |34, which is held iby the links |33 and |25 and by the levers |32and |21, the end oi the lever |24 occupying its idle position on theperiphery of the pattern drum |22.

When the thread guides are changed on one or more needle banks, the oneor more idle thread guides are positioned on the side oi the sinkerheads E, Fig. 4, each idle thread o1 the needle bank being tensionedbetween the knitted product and the tube of the idle thread guide. Ifthe machine is provided, with seven thread guides, three of the guides,for instance, may be put out of operation on the right side of theneedle bank and four guides on the left side, or vice versa. Since theknitting operation is continued with the newly introduced thread guide,each section of the products would pull indefinitely with itself theidle thread extending between the product and the tube of the idlethread guide. For this reason it is necessary to make provision forclamping and cutting oi at the same time the idle thread on the one orthe other side of the needle bank, or needle banks, without aiecting theinactive threads oi the other idle thread guides held in the clampingdevices.

The automatic pulling-out, clamping and cutting-ofi operations justreferred to may be effected simultaneously with the arresting of theidle thread guides, or 'after the latter have reached their normalinactive position or in the proximity of this position.

An impulse for the operation of the apparatus in accordance with theinvention is given by the pattern drum |22, Fig. 1, the step by stepmotion of which is derived from the main cam shaft 5, the projection |23raising the end of the lever |24 and as a consequence the link |23 andthe lever |21. After the iirst angular movement of the pattern drum |22,the end of the lever ibi lies on the projection |23. The ro-tation ofthe shaft |28 causes the lever 32 to rock so that the link |33 producesa rocking movement of the lever |34 and causes the locking pin 95 to bereleased from the corresponding notch 94 in the driving sector 93. Underthe action of the tension spring |03 the sector 93 together with thewasher 92 and the pawl 91 rotate on the en ended hub 89, Fig. 2, in aclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, into the path of the rotatingdriving pin H3 through such an angle until the end of the adjustingscrew 99 cornes to bear against the abutment |05. pawl 91 slides on theface of the disc |55, which does not rotate for the time being, and inthe recess of the disc without producing any displacement. By partialrotation of the driving sector 93 in the above mentioned direction, the

During this operation the arresting pin Fig. 2, is released from therecess |09 of the sector 93 and from the recess ||0 of the disc |06 andis brought in contact with the circular periphery of the sector,compressing thereby the spring ||2 in the bracket ||3. The driving pinI8, which is moving along a circular path, strikes against a projectionof the driving sector 93 and causes the latter to rotate incounterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. During this rotation thesector entraine with it the pawl 91 which under the action of thetorsion spring |01 will engage in the recess ||0 of the disc |06. As aconsequence, this disc and the gear wheel |04 begin to rotate togetherin counterclockwise direction so that the rotating pinion I4 will comein engagement with the gear wheel |04 which then is rotated once aboutits axis. In view of the transmission ratio 1:2 between the gear Wheels|04 and ||4, Fig. 2, the driving pin ||8 will then leave again thesector 93. The latter will begin to rotate again in clockwise directionunder the effect of the spring |03 and will be pushed for the secondtime by the revolving driving pin in counterclockwise direction. Duringthis period the sprocket wheels 88 and 83, Fig. 3, are rotated by thesame number of teeth in counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l,and will perform one revolution about their axes. The sprocket wheel 83carries with it also its pawl 8|, Fig. 1, together with the disc 80 andthe cylindrical cam 15. During a revolution of the gear wheel |04, disc|06, sprocket wheels 88 and 83 and cylindrical cam 15, all the grooves14 cause the respective levers 10, Figs. 4 and 9, to rock at the sametime or successively. The upper and the middle bars and 54 are rstoperated in opposite directions and then at a latter stage the lower bar2| is moved in the same direction as the upper bar 64. The retaininghooks 59 connected to the upper bar 65, Fig. 8, which normally arepositioned at the left of the needle bank, are moving at the beginningof their paths along the needle row to the right and back again, whilethe retaining hooks 59 of the middle bar 54 which normally arepositioned to the right of the needle bank, are moving at the same timeto the left and then back again. Depending on the side of the needlebank at which one of the thread guides is arrested, either the righthand or the left hand retaining hooks 5S perform useful work, this workbeing effected on all the needle banks of the machine at the same time.

If the thread guide is arrested, for instance, at the right side of theneedle bank, Fig. 4, so that its inactive thread extends between theguide tube and the right hand extreme sinker 1, the retaining hook 59and its directly associated introducing, clamping and cutting-oli:`devices located at the right hand side of the needle bank are inoperation. The downturned end 51 of the lever 58, who-se other end isformed as a retaining hook 59, bears during this stage against thedeflected end of the guide 55. During the movement of the bar 64, and ofthe lever 58 carried with this bar, to the left the downturned end 51 ofthe said lever slides on the surface of the iiat spring 56, Fig. 10,towards the inactive thread so as to locate the retaining hook 59 beyondthe tube of the idle thread guide. In the left hand point of reversal ofthe path of bar 54 the bent end 51 of the lever 58 will slip, under theaction of the torsional spring 56, from the end of the flat spring 5Bsecured to the holder 54 on to the straight leading end of the guide 55so that the lever 58 will rock aboutits pin 624. The retaining hook 59which is located behind the tube of the thread guide already before thesaid rocking movement, will grip reliably the inactive thread during therocking of the lever 58. During the back movement of the bar 64 and k ofthe lever 58 to the right the downturned end 5l of the lever 58 slidesalong the straight wall of the guide 55 and at the end of its straightvpath will raise the free end of the flat spring 55,Y the retaining hook53 being thus caused to ypull out the inactive thread into a V-shapedloo-p, Fig. 11.

At this moment the body lil together with the closed jaws I4 and theguide bolt Il and the knife 2B begin to move toward the loop beingformed as a result of the movement of the lower bar 2| with the holders25 and the cam faces I-S longitudinally of the machine in the directionto the right. Due to the lateral displacement and to the pressureexerted by the lcam face I9 on the upper part oi the bolt |I on the bodyI5, the pin 25 oi the knife 25 will engage with the cam face 33 of thelever 35, the pin 23 being subjected to the action of the spring 35,whereby the knife 26 is raised or opened. Concurrently with the movementof the body I in a direction opposite to the loop being pulled out, theguide pin 4I of the arm 42 is lowered by the effect of the groove 45,and then the lever 42 by means of its supporting pin 44 exerts pressureagainst the arm 45 of the lever 45, Fig. 6. As a consequence the otherarm 4'! of the lever 46 will rock about its pin 55 in the directiontowards the jaws. Il and I4, the notch 49 in the enlarged end 48 beingbrought in contact with the upper fold of the loop, causing this upper-fold of the loo-p to enter between the closed jaws Il and I4, Fig. l2,For an easy and reliable introduction o-I the said fold of the loopbetween the jaws, the moving downturned end of the lever 5B will bebroughtco-ncurrently with the movement of the clamp-ing and cutting-oddevice, in contact with the deflected part of the guide 55, so that thereturning hook 59 which holds the loop and is moving away from the jawsII and I4, is caused to turn in the die rection towards the guide 55. Bythe simultanea ous movement of the pulling, clamping and introducingdevices the upper fold of the loop is introduced and clamped in this waybetween the jaws II and Ill and beneath the raised knife 25. A shorttime before the loop is cut off and its upper fold is severed, the endof the bolt YI'l is in a position close to the iront straight surface ofthe cam member i5. The cam pin of the knife 26 at this moment occupies aposition at the end of the cam face 33 of the arm 34. In this stage thedownturned end 5l of the lever 58 is at the end of the deiected part ofthe guide and the enlarged end 48 of the bell-crank lever v45 is at theside of the body I0 behind the jaws Il and I4. When the bolt I1 hasreached the front face of the cam member I9, the cam pin 25 will slipfrom the cam face 33 under the action of the tension spring 34, and as aconsequence the knife 23 will fall on the pin 32. The edge 28 of theknife 25 and the cutting edge I2 of the lower clamping jaw I I willsever the clamped lupper fold of the loop in the corresponding verticalplane of the body I I) close to the jaws while the lower fold of theloop is released, Figs. 5 and 13.

During the back movement of the bar z2| together with the cam members I9to the left, the bolt Il under the action of the tension spring 24 ismoving along the inclined surface ofthe cam 1() member I 9, whereby thebody I0 together with the closed jaws Il and the loop fold clampedbetween the latter are returned to the original inactive position.During this back movement of the body I0, the arm 42 is raised due tothe action of the groove 40 upon the guide pin 4|, and under the actionof the torsion spring 52 on the arm 45 of the bell crank lever 45 theother arm 4l of the lever is returned to its original inactive position.With the returning body I 0, the pin 25 of the closed knife 23 will passunder the cam face 33 of the arm 34, Fig. 7, so that the latter israised, but falls again under the action of the torsion spring 38. Assoon as the bolt I1 has moved over the inclined surface of the cammember I 9 and reached its starting position, the clamping device alsohas reached its idle position, in which one or more inactive threads areclamped and held by the jaws I I and I4. At the same moment the gearwheel |04, Fig. 1, of the one revolution coupling has terminated itssingle revolution and interrupted for a time its engagement with thepinion ||4 due to the gap |05 without teeth, the pinion I I 4 continuingto rotate without interruption. The sector 93, which is urged for asecondtime by the driving pin H8, Fig. 2, in counterclockwise direction,is locked in its idle position again by engagement of the arresting pinIII in the recess |09 of this sector, the pin engaging also in therecess IIG of the disc |06, and also by the engagement at the propermoment oi the locking pin in the corresponding notchs on the circularperiphery of larger diameter of the sector 93. An impulse for theengagement of the locking pin 95 is given again by the pattern drum |22which performs another angular movement under the control of the maincam shaft 5. During this second angular movement, the end of the lever|24 slips down from the projection |23 so that the link |25 togetherwith the lever |27 are moving toward the drum I22. Due to the partialrotation of the shaft |28, the lever |32 is caused to rock in such a waythat the link |33 causes the lever |34 to rock and the locking vpin 95to be engaged.

The exchange of the thread guides and thus also the pulling,introducing, clamping and cutting-oir operations for one or more threadson the one or the other end of a single or multiple needle bank machineare thereby terminated. Normal knitting will be resumed with the freshlyintroduced thread guide or guides. If one of the inactive threads heldby a clamping device is to be put in operation anew, the end of thethread remains clamped within the jaws until the needles have seizedthis thread which is automatically and gradualy pulled out of the jawsof the clamping device by the knitted product of increasing length beingdrawn'away. The remaining inactive threads of the idle guides, which.threads are held closely adjacent to each other between the jaws,remain at rest during this stage. The longer and shorter ends of thefree threads projecting from the edges of the product before the latterhave been sewn together, are subsequently trimmed by hand.

The invention is not restricted to the example described and shown andmay be applied also to other working machines which operate undersimilar working conditions as the straight knitn ting frames.

What I claim is:

1. In a method of gripping and cutting oir the inactive threads instraight sinker operated knit ting frames and similar machines includingselectively -idled thread guides, th'effstepg 'ci fautomatically pullingout the threads extending between idled thread guides and the fabric toform a V-shaped loop between the mouths of the thread guide tubes andthe point of introduction of the thread into the knitted fabric,inserting one of the branches of the vf-shaped loops extending from theidled guides between two spring closed jaws of a clamping andcutting-off device, cutting the thread at a location close to the sideof the clamping jaws, and retaining the ends of the severed threadsbetween the jaws of the clamping device in such a way that the saidsevered ends do not project from the clamping jaws.

2. The method as set forth in claim l, ineluding during the period ofpulling the thread by means of one or more retaining hooks to form aV-shaped loop, moving the clamping and cutting-off device towards theloop being formed.

3. In a method of gripping and cutting off the inactive threads instraight sinker operated knitting frames and similar machines includingselectively idled thread guides, the steps of automatically pulling outthe threads extending between idled thread guides and the fabric to forma V-shaped loop between the mouths of the thread guide tubes and thepoint of introduction of the thread into the knitted fabric, insertingone of the branches of the V-shaped loops extending from the idledguides between two spring closed jaws of a clamping and cutting-offdevice, cutting the thread at a location close to the side of theclamping jaws, retaining the ends of the severed threads between thejaws of the clamping device in such a way that the said severed ends donot project from the clamping jaws and causing the thread introducingdevice to be operated by the working movement of the clamping device andto be put out of operation by the return of the clamping device to itsinactive position.

4. In a straight sinker operated knitting frame, an apparatus forgripping and cutting off the inactive threads comprising a pair ofspring closed thread clamping jaws, one of said jaws also being providedwith a cutting edge along one side thereof and a spring loaded knifemounted pivotally thereon adapted to cooperate with said cutting edge tosever the projecting portions of thread clamped between said jaws, saidknife being movable with said closed clamping jaws in the directiontoward a loop being formed from the inactive thread, and a pivotallymounted cam member for actuating said knife, said cam member engagingsaid knife to open the knife prior to entry of the thread loop betweensaid springclosed jaws and being thereafter released from said knife toeffect closing thereof under the action of its loading spring thereby tosever the thread loop.

5. In a straight knitting frame including a knitting section comprisinga needle bank, a cooperating row of sinkers and thread guidesselectively operable for laying thread along the needle bank and foridling adjacent the ends thereof, a plurality of bars slidably mountedlongitudinally of the frame; a thread clamping and cutting devicemounted adjacent each end of the knitting section comprising a pair ofspring closed clamping jaws. a thread cutting knife at one side of saidjaws and a pivoted thread engaging lever for inserting threads betweensaid jaws; a thread catching member carried by one of said bars anddisposed adjacentone end of the knitting section; a thread catchercarried by another of said bars and disposed adjacent the other end ofthe knitting section; means on a third one of said bars for actuatingsaid thread clamping and cutting device; and means for impartinglongitudinal sliding motion to said bars in timed relation to theoperation of the knitting frame to shift said thread catchers into andout of the ends of the knitting section to pull out the threads betweenidled thread guides and the fabric and to actuate the clamping andcutting device to grip and cut the pulled out threads.

6. A knitting frame according to claim 5 in which the bars are mountedon the frame in superposed relation and a centrally located actuatingmember is provided for driving the bars.

7. A straight knitting frame according to claim 5 in which the frame isa multiple section frame, said bars extend across all of the sections,the thread clamping and cutting devices and thread catching members areprovided at each end of each of the knitting sections, two of the barscarry all of the thread catching members and the third bar carries allof the actuating means for the respective thread clamping and cuttingdef vices.

8. A knitting frame according to claim '7 in which all of the threadlcatching devices disposed at the right hand end of the respectiveknitting sections are carried on one of said bars and all of the threadcatching devices disposed at the left hand end of the knitting sectionsare disposed on another bar.

9. A knitting frame according to claim 7 in which the bars are mountedin superposed relation, a cylindrical cam member is provided havingdriving connection with the individual bars and means are provided fordriving the cylindrical cam in timed relation to drive of the knittingframe.

10. A knitting frame according to claim 9 in which the means for drivingthe cylindrical cam includes a coupling and drive for effecting only asingle revolution of the cam with each engagement thereof and means isprovided for automatically engaging said coupling upon the movement of athread guide or thread guides to idling position at either end of theknitting section.

11. A knitting frame according to claim 10 in which the means forautomatically engaging the coupling comprises a pattern drum and a leversystem for actuating the coupling from the pattern drum.

12. In a straight knitting machine a needle bank and a cooperatingsinker bank, a plurality of automatically operated thread guides forfeeding the thread to said banks and movable to idling positionsadjacent the ends thereof, a thread clamping and cutting device mountedadjacent the end of the sinker bank including a clamping jaw membermovable transversely of the bank, a reciprocable bar mountedlongitudinally of the frame, a hooked thread catcher mounted on said barpositioned normally at the end of the sinker bank and movablelongitudinally into and out of the bank upon reciprocation of itscarrier bar to catch a thread between an idled guide and the fabric toform a loop with the side thereof extending from the guide disposed infront of said clamping member, a pivoted lever mounted on said clampingmember having a thread engaging portion, means for rocking said lever toengage the last mentioned side of said loop and insert the same betweenthe jaws of said clamping jaw member, a thread cutter mounted on theside of said clamping jaw member away 13 from the end of the needle bankand means for actuating said cutter to sever the thread after actuationof said lever to insert the thread between the clamping jaws.

13. A method for automatically clamping and cutting 01T the inactivethreads in a straight knitting machine having an automatically operatedknitting mechanism including a needle bank and cooperating sinkers towhich the thread is fed by a plurality of thread guides which areselectively moved to an idle position during the knitting of the fabricwhich comprises catching inactive threads between idled thread guidesand the fabric by moving a thread catcher longitudinally inwardly of theend of the needle bank in timed relation to the idling of one or more ofthe thread guides, pulling out the threads so caught into a loopadjacent the end of the needle bank, clamping the portion of the solooped threads extending from the idled thread guides by en- ReferencesCited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date928,244 Burson July 20, 1909 1,712,445 Potter May 7, 1929 2,100,345Miller Nov. 30, 1937 2,132,494 Rinehart Oct. 11, 1938 2,432,110 LambachDec. 9, 1947 2,443,813 Cooper June 22, 1948.

